Alaska's Cold, Wild Kenai River

Alaska’s wild salmon are a natural and economic wonder. One of the areas where their amazing journey from spawning grounds to sea takes place is in the cold, wild Kenai River.We’ve been part of that story for 15 years, collaborating with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other partners to protect more than 700 acres along or near this key Alaskan river.

In 2012, we conserved more than 260 acres of prime salmon spawning habitat: a place that native Alaskan families and wildlife, such as brown bears, depend on to survive. This is wilderness at its best—and we’re working to keep it that way.

Salmon have one of the most dramatic and arduous migrations of any animal. In Southwest Alaska —perhaps the world's greatest stronghold of wild salmon, with all five Pacific salmon species abundant and widespread—salmon drive the region's ecology, economy and culture. Today, geographic remoteness no longer protects the region and forces that have devastated wild salmon elsewhere are now at work here. In order to safeguard this fragile ecosystem, we launched, with our partners, the Southwest Alaska Salmon Habitat Initiative.